Amagoi
by Random1377
Summary: A further exploration of the relationship between Shinji Ikari and Chidori Souske.  Sequel to Kentou.


Disclaimer: Neon Genesis Evangelion is owned by Studio Gainax animation, not me.  If they tell me to, I will take this story off the web.  Also, this is the sequel to the story _Kentou_, so you might want to read that first to get up to speed.  Or, you know – if you like being confused, just dive in.  Thanks.

Amagoi

By Random1377

All of her life, Asuka Langley Souryu had secretly craved closeness.  Since the death of her mother, and her subsequent move to her less-than-nurturing-grandmother's house, she gradually closed herself off from others, ensuring that no one would ever be able to hurt her again… but still, there was always that tiny fragment of her heart, calling out to be close to someone else.

In the late hours of the night, after long hours of studying textbooks that many adults could not master, the redhead would sit in her small room and daydream of having someone look at her with affection.  It was a dangerous dream, she knew, for if anyone ever _did_ look at her with that kind of affection, she would be forced to push them away in order to protect her fragile heart.  But still… she dreamed.

Of course, she was none too keen on the closeness she was currently experiencing.

"If you run into my ass one more time, I swear I'm going to kill you!!"

"I'm sorry," Shinji Ikari replied, his voice full of consternation, "but… but we have to hurry, and you told me not to look… how am I supposed to know if you stop?"

"No excuses," Asuka shot back, cursing briefly as she was forced to work her way around another grate, "Just keep your face… just pay attention!"

She grumbled to herself as the boy apologized yet again.  _This is just great,_ she thought darkly, _angel's probably having lunch on headquarters right now, and I'm stuck in the damn ventilation with twiddle-dum and Der Wondergirl._  She tried to clear her mind, focusing on the task at hand.  _Wonder what Kaji's doing… probably finding a way to kill that stupid thing.  Damn it!  If we could just GET there, I'm sure we-_

"Hey…"

Asuka nearly banged her head on the low 'ceiling' of the vent at Shinji's soft whisper.  "Don't _do_ that!" she shouted.  "What do you want?"

There was a moment of silence behind her.  "It's nothing, really," Shinji said quietly, "it's… about Ayanami."

"Oh," Asuka replied coldly.  "You're right, it _is_ nothing.  Now be quiet so I can pay attention… Wondergirl's probably leading us the wrong way…"

Glaring up at the First Child's backside, the redhead felt her blood beginning to boil.  _What is it about her?_ she thought angrily.  _I just cannot stand that girl!  She's so quiet, and so… obedient!  I hate that!_  She shivered as a brief image of a ragdoll flashed through her mind.

"Can I ask you something?" Shinji murmured.

"I still don't know why the angels are attacking, Shinji," Asuka muttered, "I didn't ten minutes ago, and I don't now."

"No, no," Shinji said quickly, "it's still about Ayanami."

"What about her?" Asuka demanded.

Shinji said nothing, considering his reply, then finally said, "Chidori said Rei was staring at me, but I've never seen that… have you?"

Asuka craned her neck to look back over her shoulder.  "Are you kidding me?" she asked incredulously.

"Why?" Shinji replied innocently.

"Man you're dumb," the redhead snorted.  "Do you really think I pay attention to what she does?  Why don't you ask her yourself, Third Child?  I'm sure she'd tell you…" she lowered her voice, "might have to _order_ her to do it, but she'd tell you.  And besides, don't you think we should concentrate on what we're doing?  I mean, I doubt the angel really-"  She came up short as Rei stopped in front of her.

"But I can't just as-"

"I told you not to run into me!" Asuka snapped, feeling her frayed patience finally snap as she rounded awkwardly on the boy.

Defensively, Shinji raised his hands… but since they were crawling, this only served to throw him off balance.  With a startled cry, the two teenagers collided, falling to the ground in a tangle of limbs and clothes.

"Get off m-!" 

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-"

"Don't touch those!"

"Ahh! Sorry, I-"

"I'm telling Chidori's parents that you're a per-"

"I didn't mean it!! I was just-"

"GET OFF!!!"

Asuka planted her hands on the boy's chest and pushed hard… the reaction was not what she anticipated.  Instead of him flying off of her, a metallic groan sounded next to her ear.

"Uh… oh…"

Rei Ayanami watched with a vague sense of amusement as the grate Souryu and Ikari had stopped on gave way, sending them tumbling into Central Dogma with perfectly synchronized screams of dismay.  _I suppose their training was more effective than anticipated,_ the blue-haired girl thought, shaking her head and slipping out of the vent.

"Oh good," Ritsuko Akagi nodded, "you're here."  She raised her voice, calling to the technicians standing around the area.  "Let's do it!"

Rei glanced down briefly at the crumpled mass of pilot at her feet, a blank expression on her face as she thought, _I wonder if this constitutes cheating on Ikari's part?_

She turned away and started for Unit 00 as Asuka murmured, simply,

"Ow…"

**

Misato sat in Ritsuko's office, watching the woman work as she considered just how to approach the topic she wanted to discuss.

"What's your father like?" she asked suddenly.

"You already know about my father," the blonde replied, keeping her eyes on her screen.

"Humor me," Misato muttered dryly, "and I don't know that much.  You just said you don't get along with him."

"No," Ritsuko corrected, "I said he doesn't get along with me – he says I have too much of my mother in me… but I've never, like, _hated_ him or anything."

"Yeah?" Misato asked, leaning against the other woman's desk and folding her arms over her stomach.  "So what was he like?"

"He's still alive, you know," Ritsuko mumbled, "but he lives in Central America."

"You're not answering my question."

"Hmm?"

Misato sighed.  "You're not answering my question," she repeated, "I asked what he's like, and you're being evasive… I hate that."

Ritsuko pursed her lips.  "He's demanding," she replied quietly.  "He says what he wants… then goes and makes sure he gets it.  He's hard… cold," she glanced up at the operations director, "he's a hard man to love.  Does that answer your question?"

Misato nodded, chuckling as a thought occurred to her.  "Sounds like the Commander."

Ritsuko's hands never stopped moving over the keyboard, but when she went back later and checked her work, she found that she had typed Misato's sentence, word for word, into her database.  "If you say so," she said easily.

"My father was a coward," Misato mused, staring down at the floor.  "He left me and my mother alone all the time… and I can still remember her crying herself to sleep every night."  She sighed.  "I prayed for the day that she left him, and when it came… I laughed in his face, because I knew, in my heart, that he deserved it."  She idly stroked her cross pendent, losing herself in the past.  "His friends said he was too sensitive and worked as much as he did to provide us a good home," she murmured, "but that was a copout.  He was just a coward that was too afraid of the real world to deal with it, so he hid in his work."

Ritsuko's lips quirked up at the corners.  "Sounds like Shinji."

Misato blinked. "Shinji?" she echoed.  "How do you figure?"

"Oh come on," the blonde said coolly, "the only difference in what you just said about your father and the way Shinji behaves is that he doesn't have work to hide in… and he makes up for that by hiding in EVA when he's here, and his music when he's at home."

"That's pretty harsh," Misato observed, frowning deeply.

"Reality can be hard to face," Ritsuko nodded sagely, "I just call it as I see it."

"Right," the other woman rolled her eyes, "well I think Chidori would argue with you about how cold he is."

"Who?"

"Chid_ori_," Misato laughed, "Shinji's girlfriend!"  Seeing the blank expression on the blonde's face, she let out an exasperated sigh.  "Don't you ever read security updates??"

"Not unless they pertain to Project-E," Ritsuko shrugged.

"Well, Shinji has a girlfriend," Misato informed her, trying not to be irritated, "her name is Chidori, and she's his underclassman."

"A younger woman?" Ritsuko asked curiously.  _Must run in the family._

"Yeah," Misato confirmed, "it's kind of cute, actually.  She's _obviously_ got it bad for him, and he's…" she trailed off, frowning faintly.  "He's… nice to her," she finished lamely.

"Sounds like a glowing endorsement," Ritsuko snorted.  "I'm nice to you… does that mean we're dating?"

Misato shook her head, trying to clear out the image of Chidori beaming at the Third Child, and him simply eating his dinner.  "You're not that nice to me," she retorted absently.

_Kinda strange,_ she thought, forgetting for a moment the conversation of fathers and their comparisons to persons she worked with.  _When I first started dating Kaji, _she reasoned, _we held hands and… and did other stuff all the time…_ she blushed, thinking of the 'other stuff.'  _But when Chidori was over for dinner… they only held hands once – and damned if it didn't look like Shinji wanted to pull away from her._

She brought herself back to the present as Ritsuko asked, "Didn't your father save your life?"

"Yeah," Misato answered softly.  "He did… and do you know something?  I never understood why.  My whole life, he pretty much ignored me and my mother, treating us distantly, but kindly – if that makes sense…" she bit her bottom lip for a moment before concluding, "he could have saved his own life… but he chose to save mine instead."

Ritsuko frowned, leaning back in her chair and staring up at the ceiling as she whispered, "Sounds… like Shinji…"

Misato nodded.  "Yeah…"

The two old friends sat in silence, considering what they had discussed and trying to decide if it was as meaningful as it seemed.

**

Hikari Horaki yawned and leaned back in her chair.  "You wanna take a break?" she asked, glancing at her studying companion as she set her pen on the table.

"Yeah, sure," Kensuke Aida shrugged.

Hikari stood up, stretching her back out and yawning again.  "Man," she muttered, "feels like we've been working on this for hours."

Kensuke nodded, yawning himself.  "We'd be done by now if Touji'd shown up," he complained.

The class representative grinned.  "Come on, Aida," she teased, "you're not making up excuses are you?"

The boy frowned.  "I'm just saying we could work faster with a third person," he muttered, "this is just a busywork project anyway."

Hikari nodded.  "Yeah," she sighed, looking down at the half-made stellar map they were working on.  "But the teacher said it was required."  A sly grin appeared on her face.  "I could always call Asuka, see if she-"

"No thanks."

Hikari laughed at the immediate grimace that appeared on the boy's face.  "Just kidding," she laughed, "but if you really think we need another person, I could call Ikari, see if he's-"

"No. Thanks."

Hikari's laughter faded.  "So, ummm," she said hesitantly, "yeah, I noticed that you guys don't hang out like you used to." She paused. "Why is that?"

Kensuke bristled.  "I don't want to talk about it," he said coolly.

The girl slowly retook her seat, feeling vaguely sick as she told him, "As Class Representative, I need to know if there are any problems with the students in 2-A…"

"That's the real reason you wanted me over here, isn't it?" the boy grumbled, studying the end of his pencil with a dark expression, "and that's why Touji isn't here."

"No, actually," Hikari replied immediately, "I really did invite him, and I hadn't even thought about talking to you about this until just now."

She waited as the boy digested this information, her mind lazily pointing out that she was only telling half of the truth.  _No,_ she told herself, _it's true – I did invite Touji… and I didn't plan on talking to Aida about this at all._  She hoped her blush did not show as she added, _I planned to ask Touji about it, when Aida wasn't in the room, and maybe see if I could get a better idea of what kind of person he is, and if I really like him or not._

She refocused her attention as Kensuke cleared his throat.  "We don't agree on some things," he said flatly, "that's all.  It's not going to disrupt class."

"It's Souske, isn't it?" Hikari said quietly.  "I see how you look at her, Aida… why do you hate her so much?"  Kensuke looked as if he might lose his temper – a sight Hikari had never seen and had no desire to see, so she added, "As Class Rep, I know that some things are better left between two people."  She met his eyes levelly.  "I guarantee you that anything you tell me will stay here, but I have to know what's happening in my class, Kensuke – I have to be able to maintain order, you can understand that, can't you?"

She held the boy's gaze unwaveringly.  _Dad would say this is why I'm class rep,_ she thought suddenly.

"Fine," the boy spat suddenly.  "I don't trust her, and I don't like her."

"Why not?"

Kensuke took off his glasses, studying the rims closely so he would not have to meet the brown-haired girl's intense gaze.  "If you had a friend," he said carefully, blowing on the lenses and rubbing them on his shirt, "a friend you knew was important – like, saving the world every other week kind of important – and out of the blue, some stranger that has no business even _knowing_ your friend, suddenly becomes _really_ interested… wouldn't you think it's wrong?"

"Well," Hikari said slowly, "not _wrong_, but I guess… I guess I would want to know why…"

Kensuke leaned forward suddenly.  "And if that friend started _dating_ that person," he went on, his tone entirely serious, "you would just sit by and watch without doing anything?"

"W-well," Hikari stammered, feeling the conversation staring to slide out of her control, "I'd… probably find out as much as I could, but I wouldn't… be mean, I don't think…"

Kensuke leaned further forward, leveling a finger at the girl.  "And," he whispered, "if your friend started spend all his time with that other person… wouldn't you be sad?"

Hikari's mouth worked as the boy rose to his feet, but she could not make herself speak.

"Now you know," he said quietly, gathering his books and slipping them into his backpack.

As he started for the door, Hikari found her voice.  "Don't be mean to her, ok?" she blurted.  "I've seen her talking to Shinji, and I think she really likes him – just because."  She took a deep breath.  "So can you… at least _try_ not to be mean to her… Kensuke?"

Kensuke stopped with his hand on the door, then opened it and stepped out in silence.

"Well that sucked," Hikari sighed, putting her head in her hands.

_I'll bet Touji would have known,_ she thought tiredly, _and that whole scene could have been avoided._  She looked down at the map, oddly finding her eyes drawn to Cassiopeia.  _Wasn't she the goddess of love, or something?_ she thought, a frown creasing her brow.

Slowly, she traced a line from the constellation to Earth.

"Think you can give me a hand?" she whispered.  "I don't want to fall in love, I don't think… but can you at least help me figure out what I feel?  Please?"  After a moment of silence, she stood.  "Fine," she murmured, "I didn't want your help anyway."

Quietly, the class representative of 2-A made her way to the kitchen and started making dinner for her family, all the while thinking of Kensuke, Touji, Shinji, and Chidori… and trying her best to remember what it was that Cassiopeia did that was good enough to get a whole constellation named after her.

**

Shinji slowly trudged up the hill towards the swimming pool.  "So that's why I can't," he practiced, trying to prepare himself for the disappointment he knew he would find on Chidori's face.

They were supposed to meet that night to go see a movie… but circumstances had dictated that this was not to be.  Shinji knew that the girl would be unhappy, but really, it was out of his hands.  He watched the swim practice for a moment, finally spotting Chidori's long brown hair (currently in a single braid) as she broke the surface.

"Souske," one of the girls by the side of pool called, "your _boy_friend's here to see you!"

Shinji grimaced as several of the other girls giggled, and though it wasn't his class's time to be at the pool, he still found himself looking to where Rei normally sat, sure that he would find her just looking away.  _I saw her yesterday,_ he thought as the girls continued to chatter and point, _maybe Chidori was right – maybe she does want something from me… but what??_

"Hi!" Chidori waved excitedly, walking as quickly as she could over to the fence.  "What's up?"

Shinji gave her a quick once-over, guiltily noticing the way her one-piece school swimsuit hugged her small body before glancing away.  "I need to talk to you for a sec," he said softly, doing his best not to take another look at her slim legs.

Since he was not looking her way, he missed the look of worry that flashed across Chidori's face, disappearing as quickly as it appeared.  "Ok," the girl said in as even a voice as she could.

'I need to talk to you,' or 'we need to talk,' were phrases that inspired fear in the young brunette – mostly due to movies she had seen during her life.  These words almost always preceded, 'I think we need some space,' or 'There's something you should know,' and usually signaled the end of a relationship, sometimes even progressing to the dreaded, 'I think we should just be friends.'

So it was that she barely contained her relieved sigh as Shinji said, "I've got to go into NERV tonight for some… tests and stuff… sorry.  Is tomorrow ok for the movie?"  His shoulders slumped. He never quite knew what was taboo and what was not.  It made for some very odd, self-censored conversations.

Chidori slid her fingers into the chain link fence separating them, smiling brightly as she leaned closer and tilted her head to the side.  "Uh huh," she nodded, "that works better, actually, because I can have more time to get some snacks and stuff together – stuff at the theater is so expensive!" Abruptly, the tip of her tongue appeared between her teeth in an impish, vibrant grin.

"What?" Shinji asked, confused by this gesture, "What is it?"

Chidori's smile grew and her eyes shifted from side to side, checking to see if anyone else could hear before whispering, "I wanna kiss you."  As Shinji blushed and pointed out that there were people all around, she shook her head.  "Not now," she said quietly, wiggling her fingers in the fence, "next time we're alone."  She looked around again, lowering her voice further.  "I've been thinking about kissing you all day, Shinji," she whispered softly, "next time we're alone… can I kiss you?"

Shinji jammed his hands into his pockets so hard that he was sure the back of his right hand was cut as it was forced over his house keys.

When he did not reply, Chidori went on.  "Last time was so nice," she said carefully, "I can still remember everything about it."  She smiled, lowering her eyes and blushing.  "If you don't want to, that's ok," she murmured, "I know I said you wouldn't have to kiss me, but since you did, I was just thinking maybe you wouldn't mind if we did it again sometimes…"

She waited for a moment, hoping he would at least say something.

"I'm sorry," she said lightly, "forget I mentioned it.  I mean, I said I wouldn't push, so I don't want you to think I'm trying to make you do things for me, but…" she smiled, wriggling her fingers in the fence again, "you should know that I thought it was incredible."

Shinji nodded, keeping his eyes averted.

"I love you."

This brought the boy's eyes back around.  He blinked as he found Chidori leaning against the fence and gazing at him intently.

"I love you," she repeated gently, "remember that, Shinji.  Whatever you want – or don't want – to do, is fine… I just thought you should know that I liked it the last time, and I've been thinking about it all day."  She blew him a kiss, blushing faintly as several of the other girls whooped their approval.  "So anytime you want to kiss me," she said softly, "you can."

Shinji blushed as well.  "Ok…" he mumbled, finding his eyes drawn to Chidori's lips and remembering how soft they had felt when they had kissed.  "So, umm… tomorrow… movie… yeah…"

"You bet," Chidori chirped, "I'll be waiting for you by the gates, just like last time, k?"  She looked over her shoulder, frowning as her teacher called her name and waved impatiently.  "I gotta get back to class," she said reluctantly, turning back to face her boyfriend, "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Ok."

"Oh hey," she called suddenly.

"Hmm?" Shinji hummed.

"I was… wondering if you wanted to come over this weekend?" Chidori said nervously, "I want to show you my house…and ummm… my mom wants to meet you."  She blushed.  "Can you?"

"Souske!"

"Yes sensei!!" Chidori called.  She began moving away, glancing over her shoulder and saying, "Tell me tomorrow, k? I really gotta go!  Love you!!"

Shinji waved.  "K…" he whispered as she ran over to her teacher, bowing an apology and getting in line with the other students.  Slowly, he lowered his hand to his side and walked back down the hill, wondering if there was a reason – any reason, really – that he would not be able to go.

Sighing, he realized that there was not.  He had no real problem going to see Chidori's house, but the idea of meeting her mother made him feel slightly queasy.  "No sync tests," he muttered grimly, "no big tests next week…"  He shrugged to himself.  "Guess I'm going to meet Chidori's mom…"

The idea that he could just say no never once entered the boy's mind. 

**

"Kaji, there you are!"

Ryouji Kaji glanced up from his plate of food, blinking as he found a young redheaded woman waving at him from across the cafeteria.  Since she was dressed so different from anything he had seen her in before, it took him a moment to recognize her as, "Asuka?"

The Second Child smiled, making her way over to his table at a casual walk… making sure he had plenty of time to see her attractively dark outfit.  "You like?" she grinned, taking the seat opposite the man.  "I figured since this is a weekend, I didn't _have_ to wear that stupid school uniform after the sync tests."  She leaned back and draped one arm over the back of her chair.  "So…?"  
  


Kaji nodded appreciatively.  "It looks very nice on you," he said cautiously, still feeling a little off guard from the last encounter they had.  "Is it new?"

Asuka beamed, spreading her arms out to allow him a better look.  "I got the shirt yesterday," she informed him matter-of-factly, gesturing to the black long-sleeve she was wearing.  "The skirt I've had for a while, but didn't have anything to go with it," she pointed to the black skirt that (Kaji noticed) did match the shirt quite nicely.  "And the earrings and necklace," Asuka stuck out her tongue, "I borrowed from Misato."

Kaji nodded.  "I thought those looked familiar," he mused, pushing his food around with his chopsticks.

The redhead smiled.  "So," she said lightly, "they make you work every Saturday?  Or are you trying to score points with your boss?"

_Nice,_ she complimented herself, feeling very proud, _see, Kaji?  I can have a regular conversation without squealing and throwing myself at you._

"I work every day," Kaji replied easily, studying the girl from the corner of his eye and looking around at the other diners, "it's my curse."

"You shouldn't work _too_ hard," Asuka said wisely, tapping her fingers against the saltshaker.  "You have to relax sometimes, Kaji."  She smiled.  "You know what they say about all work and no play."

Kaji shrugged.  "Eh," he muttered, "I get by."

Asuka nodded, and they fell into silence.  _Ok,_ she thought, her stomach filling with butterflies, _it's been a couple weeks since I made him that bento… and I've been nothing but mature, sophisticated, and adult whenever he's around._  She built up her courage.  _So…_

"So I was thinking…"

Kaji looked up, bracing himself mentally as the girl's cheeks took on a faint rose tint.  "Yes?" he prompted levelly.

Asuka took a deep breath and plunged forward.  "So I was thinking that all that work can stress you out, you know?" she asked, trying to be as offhand as possible.  "So maybe we could… I dunno, go to a movie, or get some dinner or something, you know?"  She leaned forward, smiling as she added, "You can tell me about work, or whatever you want to talk about… I'm a really good listener, Kaji."

"Is that right?" Kaji answered neutrally.

"You bet!" Asuka nodded empathically, leaning a little closer.  "So how about it?  I can meet you somewhere, or… or you could pick me up… what do you say?"

Silence returned as the man continued pushing the food on his plate around with his chopsticks.  Asuka struggled not to fidget, wondering if it was a bead of sweat running down her back, or if that was just her imagination.  _He has to say yes,_ she thought, trying to be confident, _all I want is a chance… if he could just spend some time with me, he'd see that-_

"I'm gonna have to pass," Kaji said thoughtfully.  "But thanks for the invite."

Asuka reddened further.  "Why?" she asked as calmly as she could, trying to reason out a strategic attack.  "Don't tell me you're going to work all night, Kaji, I mean, you really should take some time off… right?"

Kaji leaned back, mirroring her pose by putting his right arm over the back of his seat.  "Actually," he said smoothly, watching her face closely for the reaction he knew his next statement would draw, "you're right, I do work too much, so I think I will go see a movie or something – but I'm going to go alone, Asuka…"  He lowered his voice, meeting her eyes straight on.  "But thank you for inviting me."

The redhead's mouth worked for a moment before she managed to say, "But… but if you're going to go out anyway… why not-"

"I told you before," Kaji cut in softly, "I don't see you that way."

Asuka's nostrils flared.  "I see," she said icily, "so even though I'm the best pilot, and I've finished college, and can speak three languages, and have hoards of stupid, drooling boys chasing after me everywhere I go – you _still_ won't even give me the time of day!"

Kaji shook his head sadly.  "I don't care if you're the best pilot," he said tiredly, adding the barb he knew would sting the most, "and I don't care how many languages you know, or how many little boys think they love you, the fact remains that you're still a child, and-"

"I am not!" Asuka cried, glaring at a NERV technician as he turned around to see what the commotion was.  "Damn it," she whispered, "you keep saying that, but you don't even know me!  You won't even look at me, or spend some time to get to know me!  For all you know, I might be the most mature person you know!"

Kaji pursed his lips.  "I doubt that," he said coolly.

Asuka stood, planting her fists on the table and looming over the man.  "How would you know!?" she demanded fiercely.

Calmly, Kaji pushed his plate aside and rose to his feet, leaning closer to the enraged redhead and whispering, "Because mature people don't throw temper tantrums in public places when they don't get what they want."  Slowly, he stepped back from the table, ignoring the stares of the employees all around.  "I'll see you around," he murmured, starting for the door, "and you should wear more black… it looks good on you."

Asuka stared at the table for several long minutes.  "Temper tantrum," she muttered finally, sinking back to her chair and burying her face in her palms.  "Jerk…"

She sat there for a half an hour… wondering if he was right.

**

Shinji approached the large, nondescript house with trepidation, recalling the stickynote left for him on the fridge.

_Souske Mom says four no four and a half.  Hentai._

He shook his head and sighed as he mounted the steps, deciding that it would definitely not be in his best interests to point out the flaws in Asuka's barely-legible kanji.  "Pervert was written perfectly," he muttered to himself, reaching out for the doorbell.  "At least she has her insults-"

"Hello."

He took a hasty step back as the door opened, revealing a tall, middle-aged woman, smiling amusedly at him.  "Ummm, hi," he said politely, wondering if she had been waiting for him to reach the porch just so she could scare him.  "I'm… Shinji Ikari."

"Myakka Souske," the woman replied, stepping to the side and gesturing him in.  "Please make yourself at home."

Shinji entered the building, glancing around at the tasteful décor as he slipped his shoes off.  An end table bearing carefully arranged papers in the living room… a vase full almost to overflowing with luscious, blooming daffodils… an intricately patterned throw rug offering visitors a soft, gorgeous surface to tread on as they entered – all spoke of meticulous attention to detail and a refined sense of style.

"You have a very nice house," he said quietly, wishing she would not stare at him quite so openly.  He guessed that she was somewhere around thirty-five, though this observation was based mostly on the few strands of gray in her otherwise jet-black hair and the hints of lines around her sparkling brown eyes.

"Thank you, Mister Ikari," Myakka nodded, "I'm glad you approve."

Shinji shifted from one foot to the other, wondering where Chidori was.  _Maybe she's in her room,_ he thought idly, waiting for the woman to say something, _maybe I should ask…?_

Myakka studied the boy closely for a moment, then smiled.  "Why don't you come with me?"

"Ummm… ok…"

Shinji followed her through the spacious house, trying his best to relax.  _She seems nice,_ he thought, taking a deep breath as they reached the kitchen, _just relax…_

"Sit down," Myakka directed, pointing to one of the two chairs.  "I'd like to talk to you."  The boy did as he was told, bowing his head and resting his hands in his lap.  "Would you like something to drink, Shinji?" the woman offered, walking over to the stove and removing a kettle from one of the burners.  "Don't be shy," she said briskly, pouring steaming water into a small, black mug, "and get comfortable – I don't expect Chidori for at least a half hour."

"A half hour?" Shinji repeated, raising his head in confusion, "but the message said-"

"Ahh the naïveté of youth," the woman interrupted.  

She grinned as Shinji gaped at her.  

"Drink?"

Shinji lowered his eyes.  "Yes, please," he said quietly.

"And well behaved," the woman nodded, "I approve.  Cream and sugar?"

Shinji nodded, not looking up as Myakka added the two products to his cup, stirring it carefully before bringing it over and setting it down in front of him.  When he did raise his eyes, he found the woman assessing him over the rim of her mug, blowing on its contents with a thoughtful expression on her face.  Silently, he wrapped his hand around his mug and brought it to his lips, exhaling over it and watching the steam wisp up in front of his eyes.

After a moment of this, the woman set her mug down and leaned across the table, whispering, "I'm not a fan of small talk, Shinji, so I'll get right to it: what are your intentions towards my daughter?"

"My intentions?" Shinji replied uncertainly.  When the woman nodded, Shinji set down his mug, afraid that she might see the shaking in his hands.  "I… don't really… ummm… well, I don't have anything _planned_," he said slowly.

The woman sat back, raising her mug and taking a careful sip.

Shinji squirmed under her intense gaze, not knowing what she was looking for.  _Don't stare at me,_ he longed to cry, _I don't know what you want from me… please don't look at me like that – like I've done something wrong!_

Myakka smiled.  _Interesting child,_ she thought with some amusement, _either he knows that I'm trying to sweat him, or he's too scared to talk.  Guess it doesn't really matter too much in the long run – what matters is how he treats her._

"Well," she said suddenly, grinning as the boy jumped, "no plans, huh?  I guess it's better to have nothing planned than to have something… unsavory in mind.  Not that I think you'd tell me if your intentions were dishonorable, but I consider myself a good judge of character, and besides… I know what you do."  As Shinji paled, Myakka went on.  "I won't pretend that being a pilot _makes_ you a good person, but after meeting you I feel safe in saying that it at least keeps you occupied.  Or in your case, preoccupied.  Did you know that you have not once made eye contact with me, Shinji?"

Shinji shook his head.

"See?" Myakka pointed out, taking another sip of her tea, "You won't even look at me.  But that's ok, I guess," she shrugged, "if you're this preoccupied with me, even after I've already given you my approval in dating my daughter, I can only imagine what you're like with her."

"I don't-"

Myakka raised an eyebrow as the boy cut himself off.  "You don't what, Shinji?" she prompted, her voice hinting that a straightforward answer would be in the boy's best interest.

Shinji swallowed, feeling ill as the woman's eyes bore into his.  "I don't," he averted his eyes once more, coloring as he mumbled, "I don't do anything inappropriate, ma'am… Chidori's… very nice to me.  I would never make her do anything… bad…"

Myakka set her cup to the side, pressing her palms together and tapping her forefingers against her lips.  "Not many people are nice to you, are they?" she said shrewdly.  "I'm guessing that because of the way you hesitated before describing how she treats you.  You seemed almost…" she paused for effect, "awed."

Shinji remained silent.

"Look at me."

Reluctantly, the boy raised his head, bracing for the rough speaking-to the woman's voice promised.

"Listen, Shinji," Myakka said quietly, "I want to give you my point of view for a minute, alright?  My daughter talks about you all the time – oh yes," she nodded as Shinji blinked in surprise.  "Yeah, she can go on for fifteen minutes straight if I don't stop her, but before you get a swollen ego, or start thinking you're God's Gift, consider this: Chidori is my only daughter, she's very impressionable, and I am very protective.  Can you see where all this is heading?"  She lowered her voice, leaning close to the boy and speaking before he could reply.  "It's heading in the direction of me threatening you."

"Misses Souske," Shinji said uneasily, "I'm not going to-"

"Never interrupt me," Myakka cut in flatly.  "I said you seem like a nice boy, Shinji, but I've seen boys that _seem_ nice end up being cold and ruthless, so here's the bottom line."  Abruptly, she reached out and put her hand under his chin, forcing him to meet her eyes.  "I won't stop you from seeing Chidori," she said quietly, staring at the boy's eyes intently, "I haven't seen her this happy since before her father left us."  Her eyes narrowed as she concluded, "But, like I said – and this is more of a promise than a threat, really – if you treat her bad, or try to make her do anything she doesn't want to do… I will hurt you.  Do you understand?  I will hurt… you…"

Shinji stared as the woman released him and sat back in her seat, finishing her drink in one gulp.

"I don't want to hurt you," Myakka said calmly, setting her empty cup down and throwing one arm over the back of her chair.  "I like seeing my girl happy, Shinji, can you appreciate that?" she asked quietly, drumming her fingers on the table.  "She likes you an awful lot, and she's happy right now… so I won't step in unless that changes."

"T-thanks?" Shinji stammered uncertainly.

Myakka laughed.  "You're welcome," she grinned, rising to her feet.  "And thank you, Shinji."

"For what?"

Myakka's grin faded, her expression becoming serious as she murmured.  "For making her happy.  For not pushing her away, or shooting her down.  For being nice."  She shrugged.  "You want more reasons?  Because those are the only three I can think of offhand."

Shinji blushed, finally taking a drink of his tea.  "This is very good," he said quietly, hoping it would be enough to change the subject.

"Thank you," Myakka replied, bowing slightly, "I'll give you the recipe."

Shinji watched as the woman set her mug in the sink and ran some water in it, leaving it to soak before returning to the table.  From there, the conversation turned to more menial, get-to-know-you chat.  Myakka asked what Shinji's favorite studies were, informing him offhandedly that she too played the cello.  Shinji discovered that Myakka held a doctorate in chemistry and worked for a highly respected research firm. "Not everyone in Tokyo-3 is on the NERV payroll," she told him dryly when he asked why she did not work there, "Oh, they courted me, and I have no real problem taking their money, but I won't be another one of their pawns and I don't like their politics… some of us still remember Gehrin."

Shinji found that he did not have a reply.

Finally, the conversation died, leaving the two looking at one another in silence, neither feeling comfortable enough to start a new line of conversation, but strangely content with that arrangement.  By the time Chidori arrived, some fifteen minutes later, both her mother and her boyfriend were smiling faintly… though neither of them would tell her why.

**

Misato frowned, stirring her instant ramen with a fork and glancing from one of her Children to the other.  _Well this just sucks!_ She thought angrily, pursing her lips and looking down into the Styrofoam cup.  _What is wrong with these kids??  Fun little dinner on Thursday… sullen, silent lunch on Sunday.  What the Hell??_

She sighed, setting her cup to the side and considering the two teens over her folded hands.  The contrast, she admitted, was interesting.  Asuka was layering slices of meat onto a sandwich, her expression indicating that the perfect alignment of processed squares was more crucial to her than breathing.  Shinji, on the other hand, was eating a bowl of cereal and looking as if he hadn't a care in the world.

Needless to say, alarms were sounding in Misato's mind at full blast.

_Look at her,_ she thought, turning her attention to Asuka, _she looks like she wishes she'd been there when they killed that chicken.  And him!_  Her eyes flicked to Shinji, _Pretending that everything's coming up roses… and eating cold cereal with a fork._

"Enough!"

Asuka and Shinji slowly raised their eyes from there respective meals as their guardian slammed her hands down on the table and rose to her feet, towering over them with narrowed eyes.

"Talk, damn it!" she shouted.

Shinji glanced at Asuka, hoping she might know what the commotion was about, but the redhead simply returned his stare, squirting mayonnaise on her sandwich without looking.  "Umm," he hummed, looking back to the aggravated woman, "nice… weather we're having…?"

"Oh, so _that's_ how it's going to be, huh?" Misato growled, returning to her seat and folding her arms.  "Tell me," she said, watching the boy closely, "how's your girlfriend, Shinji?"

Shinji looked startled… and just a touch guilty.  "She's… ok," he said slowly, recalling Myakka's stern admonishment to treat her well.  "We're going out on Tuesday, so-"

"What a joke," Asuka snorted, topping her sandwich with a second slice of bread.  "Dating… girlfriend… whatever…"

"What?" Shinji asked, entirely confused.  "What are you talking about, Asuka?"

Misato rested her chin in her right palm as the redhead stared down at her food.  _Something's eating her,_ she thought, _damned if I know what, but something about Shinji is pissing her off right now._

Asuka clarified.

"Girlfriend," the girl muttered darkly, poking her sandwich with her forefinger and wrinkling her nose.  "Please… she falls all over herself, worshiping the damn ground you walk on, and you can't even be bothered to do more than hold her hand!"  She grinned maliciously as Shinji paled.  "What," she said sarcastically, "you think girls don't talk about that kind of stuff?  Give me a break – if someone kept brushing me off like that I'd…" she trailed off, shoving her plate aside and folding her arms over her breasts.

Sensing a sore spot, Misato murmured, "What would you do, Asuka?"

"Just forget it," Asuka grumbled, looking away from the other two.

"I'm trying," Shinji whispered, blushing as the two women turned their eyes to him.

"Trying to lose her?" Asuka asked snidely.  "You're doing pretty well, Third Child."  She seemed on the verge of dropping it as the boy lowered his eyes, but in her mind's eye she could see Kaji telling her that she was still a child.  "Honestly," she muttered angrily, "I feel sorry for her, Shinji, I really do – because she does everything for you.  She makes you lunch, she skips classes to see you, she-"

"She skips classes?" Shinji cut in, wide-eyed.  "She never told me tha-"

"Why would she?" Asuka snapped, "Why she does _anything_ for you is beyond me, because you're ungrateful, uncaring, and just… plain… _stupid_!"

"She… she said I didn't have to do anything…" the boy managed, his voice uneven as images of the girl in question flashed through his mind.

Misato bit her lip to keep from commenting.  _Maybe this is what she needs,_ she thought hopefully, _what they BOTH need.  I hate it when people hold onto their anger and keep it a secret… they should just say what they feel._

She ignored the fact that she was not practicing what she preached, and refocused her attention on the two Children.

"And of course," Asuka shot back, "you just took her up on it, didn't you.  Yeah that's right," she shouted as the boy rose to his feet and excused himself, "run away, you little coward!  But when Souske breaks up with you, don't come crying back here whining that you don't know what you did, because you know what you did – _nothing_!!"

Misato stared at the Second Child with open shock.  "That… that was cruel, Asuka," she managed finally, her gaze drifting to Shinji's door.

When she looked back, Asuka was staring right into her eyes.

"Was I wrong?"

Slowly, the older woman reached out and grasped her cup noodles, unable to meet the girl's piercing gaze as she regarded her lunch.  "I-"

Abruptly, three cell phones began ringing.

"Finally," Asuka grumbled, pushing back from the table and heading for the front door.  "I'll be in the car," she muttered coolly, "you'll have to get the playboy yourself."

Misato dropped her ramen on the table and picked up her cell phone.  "Katsuragi," she murmured, "yes sir… we're on the way…"  She hung up, indulging a moment of self-loathing before going to get the Third Child.

_So much for trying to do better than dad…_

**

"I wish it would rain…"

Shinji blinked, pulling his eyes from the cloud formation he had been studying to look to his right.  "What's that?" he asked, absently stroking Chidori's shoulder with his fingertips.

Chidori smiled, pressing a little closer to his side as she repeated, "I wish it would rain… it's been so hot and dry, I just want a big rainstorm – like all at once!"  She hugged him briefly, kissing his shoulder and adding, "It's good for the flowers… and I like playing in the rain."

"Is that right…?" Shinji asked gently.

Chidori nodded, closing her eyes and resting her head on his chest.  _I never thought I'd be happy that an angel attacked_, she thought giddily.

She and her mother had waited patiently in the shelter for the attack to end, holding each other comfortably and trying to stay out of the way.  Myakka had taught Chidori from an early age that chaos only breeds chaos, and if you can't help solve a problem you should stand clear and allow those that can to step in.  In angel attacks, she lived by her teachings, sticking close to the wall and helping her daughter remain calm by reminding her that her boyfriend was piloting one of the most sophisticated machines ever made, and was probably in the process of sending the angel back to God.

Though she was still concerned, Chidori forced herself to keep her worries to herself.  She knew that her mother was rather protective, and if she hinted that she thought about Shinji _too_ much, she might just find herself being forbidden from seeing him.  Not, of course, that this would stop her from seeing her lover, but she would hate to deceive her mother.

When they returned home from the shelter, however, Chidori found Shinji waiting on the top step of the front porch, holding a small box of tea.  He gave the tea to her mother and politely asked if he could take Chidori to the park for an hour or two to talk to her.  Myakka bowed, taking the tea as if it was made of gold, and told Shinji that he could take Chidori anywhere he chose so long as it was not a hotel and they were back by dark.

Shinji had blushed brightly, but nodded and assured her that they would be home before five.

Now they were in their park once more, lying on the soft, dry grass and looking up at the clouds.  "I don't really like the rain," Shinji said quietly, moving his hand down to Chidori's slender waist and lightly caressing her through her shirt.  "It's always dark and gloomy when it rains… it's sad…"

Chidori giggled, reaching over his stomach to take his free hand in hers.  "Silly," she admonished, "you're just saying that because that's what people told you."  Seeing his confusion, she smiled warmly.  "You think rainy days are sad because that's what people say… but you can have fun on a rainy day too – it's all just how you look at it, koibito."

She sighed happily as he blushed, caught off guard by the term of endearment.  _Yes, _she thought firmly, _I love you, Shinji… you're my lover…_  She closed her eyes, refusing to let her mind be drawn to thoughts of how most people used that term.  Shinji was not most people, and as long as she never used that word in public, her own personal definition could stay intact.  _And besides,_ she mused, _if he ever asked…_

"Something wrong?" Shinji asked as the girl shook her head, her expression indicating that she was trying to rid herself of an unpleasant thought.

"Nothing," Chidori grinned.  _Just being a hentai…_

Shinji nodded, considering her smiling face for a moment before looking back up to the sky.

"Shinji…?"

"Hmm?"

Chidori squeezed his hand.  "Tell me about… what happened…?"

Shinji tensed instantly.

"Shinji," the girl continued, bringing his hand up to her lips and kissing it softly.  "Let me be close to you, ok?  I just…" she closed her eyes, trembling as she pushed past the voice in her mind that whispered, 'don't force him into anything!' and told him, "I want to be the one you tell everything, Shinji… what do I have to do to be that person?"

Shinji closed his eyes, Asuka's voice echoing through his mind.  _"…because you KNOW what you did – NOTHING!"_

"I… I caught it," he whispered hoarsely, keeping his eyes tightly closed and seeing the angel falling from the sky.  "I ran… we all ran… I didn't think I'd make it, but we got there in time, and I caught it…"

Chidori nodded, imagining a huge, leering monster bearing down on Shinji as he stood majestically in the middle of a crowded town, ready to defend everyone.  "That must have been scary," she said soothingly, "no one got hurt, did they?  You must have been let go pretty quick, since you were waiting for me."

"No," Shinji shook his head, "no one was hurt.  We kinda…" he sighed, "we kinda damaged some buildings and stuff when we stopped the angel… and Unit 01-"

Chidori smiled.  "That's your robot, right?" she teased as he cut himself off.  "It's ok, Katsuragi-san told me about it and said I could talk to you about stuff like this – as long as you don't tell me any codes or 'secret' stuff."

The boy nodded.  "Unit 01's arm got damaged," he said, recalling the spray of blood that flew past Unit 01's face as the angel tried to crush him.

"Which one?"

Shinji squeezed her shoulder.  "This one," he murmured.

"This one?  Where?"

Shinji opened his eyes as Chidori rolled onto her other side and took his arm in her hands, hold it like a sacred relic.  "The forearm," he said quietly, "on the bottom."

He closed his eyes again as Chidori leaned forward.  "Right here?" she asked innocently, rolling back his shirtsleeve and gently raising his arm to her lips.

"Right there…" Shinji confirmed, shivering involuntarily.

"You feel what it feels," the girl observed, kissing him again, "Souryu-sempai told me that."

"That's right," Shinji nodded, rolling onto his side so he was pressed lightly against her back.  _I feel what it feels, _he thought, putting his other hand on her hip and burying his face in her hair.  _Which is better… than not knowing WHAT to feel…_

"You got hurt," Chidori said softly, "poor koibito."  She reached down and grasped his other arm, pulling both arms around her in a tight, reversed embrace.  "My poor, sweet, perfect koibito…"

Shinji sighed.  "I'm not-"

"Perfect?"

He opened his eyes as Chidori rolled awkwardly to face him.

"Ok," she said quietly, touching his cheek with her palm as she looked into his eyes.  "Since it bothers you when I say that, I'll just keep it in my mind…" she leaned closer, closing her eyes and pressing her lips to his forehead.  "As long as I can call you mine," she said quietly, moving down and kissing his eyelids, "that's all…" she kissed his right cheek, "that matters…"

She paused with her mouth hovering near his, and slowly opened her eyes.

"Can I…?" she whispered unevenly.

Shinji closed his eyes.  "You don't have to ask," he told her quietly, "I'm… your boyfriend."

Had Chidori not been so elated by this simple statement, she might have noticed the pause in the boy's voice, or the faint blush in his cheeks as his heartbeat momentarily accelerated.  Of course, had she noticed these minor human telltales of uncertainty, she might have willingly confused them for excitement or embarrassment – choosing to see only what she wanted to see.

Such is the nature of man.

Her spirits lifting, Chidori gently cradled his face in her hands and touched her lips to his, shivering as he slid his arms around her and held her, returning her light kiss and caressing the small of her back with his fingertips.  _Oh this was worth it!_ she thought happily, smiling as he brought his right hand up and splayed his fingers across her cheek.  _I'd wait weeks in a shelter if I knew this is what I'd get when I… got… out…_

"Mmmm…"

Shinji slowly pulled back, releasing Chidori's bottom lip from where it had been gently captured between his teeth.  "Was that ok?" he asked seriously.

"Ohhh yeah…" Chidori nodded emphatically, wondering if he was burning his hand on her cheek.  Timidly, she whispered, "Do it again…?"

"Alright…"

As they drew together for another kiss, Chidori thought, _Now… can you imagine how sweet this would be if it was raining on us?  Yeah – it would be just like a scene from a movie!  Oh, I hope it rains soon…_

Unfortunately… it did not rain for another two weeks.

The End

Deleted Scene:

(This scene was fun, I thought… but it didn't really fit in with the tone of the rest of the story.  Or, as one of my pre-readers put it: "It feels like it was hammered into the story."  So… I cut it out and replaced it with Misato talking to Ritsuko about fathers, which I think is much more suitable.  Of course… I still wanted this seen… ^_^).

Misato Katsuragi sighed happily, allowing the convenience store's air-conditioning to wash over her.  "Ohhhh thank Gooooood…" she sighed, closing the door quickly to keep every precious waft of cold air contained.  She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, allowing it to fill her lungs.

_Man, oh man,_ she thought, _there is NOTHING better than this!  Angel's gone… power's back on… life is GOOD!_

Opening her eyes, she reluctantly let the breath go.  "Right," she said firmly, "Shinji's little girlfriend will be there soon, and," she reached into her pocket and pulled out a piece of paper, "he wants to cook.  Well, who am I to say no to that?"

Heading deeper into the store, she thought back to yesterday's battle with the angel.  Or rather – her time in the elevator with Kaji _during_ the battle with the angel.

"He hasn't changed a bit," she muttered darkly, "still thinks he's so cute, and so charming, and damn it – it wouldn't be so bad if he was wrong!"

Grabbing a hand basket, she began to gather the ingredients to make ton-jiru, another thought striking her suddenly.  _And why was he asking about Asuka so much?  He was trying to be subtle, but he must have mentioned her name three times, at least – and how the heck would I know any fourteen year olds to introduce her to??_

Rounding the corner to the liquor aisle, the woman came up short, a perplexed expression spreading over her features.  "Now what the hell…?"

There were several men in the aisle, which in and of itself was not unusual… but what struck the Operations Director as odd was that they were all – to a man – not really shopping.  They looked like they were, taking bottles off the shelves, putting them back, moving to another shelf, and so on, but Misato noticed that they never _looked_ at the bottles.

Possibly because they were staring at the young woman in the aisle as she surveyed the assembled liquors with a slightly confused look on her face.  Or more accurately, they were watching the popsicle the girl was absently running her tongue over.

Misato was just about to turn away (and cross the male species off her list of intelligent creatures) when she realized that the girl was, "Chidori?"

Chidori Souske turned from the bottle of sambuca she had been studying.  "Katsuragi-san!" she exclaimed, bowing formally.  "Hi!"

"What are you doing here?" Misato asked, shooting several of the men narrow, disapproving glances as they seemed to suddenly decide that what they were looking for was not in that section of the store.

"Well," the girl said, a touch of color gracing her cheeks as she brought the popsicle back to her lips.  "Souryu-sempai said that you like, ummm… good things to drink," she shrugged, finding herself uncomfortable at how close she had come to implying that the woman was a drunk, "and I still haven't brought a proper gift, so I thought I would try to get something you might like."

Misato scowled as one of the men peeked back around the corner, practically drooling as Chidori slowly slid the frozen treat between her lips.  "You don't have to bring anything," she said firmly, her eyes meeting the man's and sending him scampering off towards the bread aisle, "I'm pretty well stocked on stuff like that."

"Oh," Chidori replied thoughtfully, pausing to run her tongue over the side of the popsicle.  "Then… should I bring a candle or something like that?"

Now thoroughly vexed, and just the faintest bit embarrassed, Misato strode over to the girl.  "Couple things," she said briskly, "first off, I don't need a gift just because you came to visit – I'm not that old-fashioned, and I won't hold it against you.  Second, you don't have to bow every time you see me… and I'd actually rather you didn't, because it makes me feel old when a girl as young as you treats me like a parent, and third…"  She looked around, pointing menacingly at a pair of thirty year old business men until they scurried off.  "Stop with the damn popsicle!"

When she glanced back at the young woman, she found her eyes as wide as saucers.  "My… popsicle?" Chidori asked, sounding totally confused as she looked around the store.  "Am I not supposed to eat in here?  I paid for it…"

Misato slapped her forehead.

"What?"

"Never. Mind," Misato bit out.  "Forget the gift… finish your popsicle… come with me – we're going somewhere else."

Chidori looked around.  "Ummm…ok."

Setting the basket on a shelf lined with bottles of Smirnoff and Papov, the older woman started for the door.  _Really,_ she thought, casting the girl a glance as she hurried to keep up, _is anyone that naive in this day and age??_

Chidori sighed with relief as they reached the street and assumed a more sedate pace.  "Did I do something wrong, Katsuragi-san?" she asked quietly after a block had passed.

Misato pursed her lips, waiting until the girl polished off the last of the popsicle and tossed the stick into a garbage can before replying, "No, Chidori, you didn't, but…" she stopped, bringing her hands together and tapping her forefingers against her mouth.  "Just how old are you?"  She watched the girl's face closely as she gave her age.  "And you don't, ummm…"

Chidori frowned as the woman trailed off.  "Don't what?"

_You don't have a clue, do you?_ Misato thought.

"You know what?" she said suddenly, turning and starting off once more.  "Forget it.  I just had something else on my mind.  Now let's go get some takeout."

"I thought Shinji was cooking?" Chidori asked, wondering what she had missed.

"He was," Misato winked, "until I changed his mind for him."

Chidori laughed.  "Yes ma'am!"

Author's notes:  man… talk about coming up with an obscure word to use for your title. -_-  Aww heck, what do I know about Japanese?  Amagoi could be as common as toast over there. ^_^  I can't really think of many notes on this chapter except to say that Myakka is not from another anime series, I just made her up to be Chidori's mom.  ^_^  Also, I was originally going to end with Chidori _not_ kissing Shinji, because he never answered her, because he's still (like he was thinking) unsure of what he feels.  I like this ending better because it actually kicks up the uncertainty a notch.  _Does_ Shinji care?  Or is he just going along because he doesn't know how to escape?  Not knowing makes it a little more angsty, don't you think?  :P

Pre-read on this story was by Ryoma, Lord Malachite, and Lisa Eggleston, and it's a lesser known fact that NONE of them… gets a dime from me – that's right, they do this cuz they wanna.  Suckers… ;)

Feedback is always welcome at random1377@yahoo.com


End file.
